Category Archives: Image retouching

Have you remembered it’s Mothers Day (UK) on Sunday 6th of March? Instead of giving your Mother an another bunch of over-priced flowers and large box of confectionery this year, why not completely surprise her by giving her a completely unique and extremely personal gift that will in turn get you major brownie points and prime place in her good books.

So here’s what you can do. But remember its a going to be a surprise so don’t tell anyone about it who can’t keep a secret ( in my family my Dad is the absolute worst!).

Step 1 – Like the younger incantation of yourself, go exploring through photo albums, shoe-boxes of random photos, and other nooks and crannies for the best image of your Mother you can find. Just pick a really good photo that means alot to her, i.e. your parents wedding day, holding you as a baby, or a great picture of your Mother as a child.

Step 2– Send it to me here at ReClick Photo. In order to help you with your gift giving endeavours you must decide on what you wish to be done with your selected image. If your image has seen better days then I could restore it for you. If your image in in black and white, I could colour it for you. If you would like your mother to look her very best I can even retouch the image for you. What ever option you would like I am more than happy to help. For all methods of getting your image to me here at ReClick Photo, please visit my website at http://www.reclickphoto.co.uk. To ensure your image arrives to me quickly and safely please use my recommended method of scanning your image and send it via email to me at info@reclickphoto.co.uk. for a free no-obligation quote.

Step 3– Once satisfied with the work completed and I have received payment, I will send your new image to you via email, where it is yours to do with as you wish! You could simply print of the image from your home printer or you could use one of the many companies out there to print it onto a wide range of things from a mug, to cushion. The choice is completely up to you!

Would you like to see an example of what I can do? I will show you as long as you keep it a secret, it’s for my Mother for Mothers day! Let’s take a look at the original image:

Image before restoration and recolouring.

If I was to tell you how old this image, there is a slight chance that my Mother would hear about it, so for the sake of diplomacy I will describe it as being a few years old. As you can see, due to not being stored correctly it has suffered a little damage. So the first task is to rectify it.

After a little care and attention its time to bring this sepia image to life. In recolouring this image there is a few key areas that I believe need the most attention in order to successfully recolour an image.

Skin – The most important area which need a lot of attention. Thinking that your skin is all one colour is wrong. Take a look at your own face in the mirror closely and you will see lots of variation in tone and texture. To replicate it digitally can be a little difficult but, when done correctly, it really makes your image. Just remember when you are ill you can usually tell by the colour of your skin, so getting the right colour is extremely important. My method of successful skin recolouring is to use a colour photo as a reference. It doesn’t have to be a photograph of the person you are retouching, it just has to be of someone with similar colouring. Like all good things, it take time and patience to complete.

Eyes – Some would say that the eyes are the gateway to the soul, for me they are one of the most important areas of a persons face. Like the skin the best way to approach recolouring the eyes is to use a reference photo. Do not take anything for granted, because what you think is not always what is there. For example what we describe as ‘the whites of the eyes’ are not pure brilliant white. Why not take a little time to examine your own eyes and try and pick out all the different colours you see.

Hair – Hair comes in all shapes, colours and textures, so to recolour someone’s hair can be tricky. Yes you have guessed it, use a reference photo! To successfully recolour hair, you have to retain its texture and shine. Just think of those shampoo commercials we see on TV!

Would you like to see the finished result?

Image after restoration and recolouring.

So what do you think? Do you think my Mother will like it? As you can see above, once you successfully recolour the skin, eyes, and hair, then the hardest part is done. Recolouring the rest of the image is a much easier task as the most important areas are done.

So how do I select the colours to use in the rest of the recolouring work? Well there is a few ways in approaching this. Firstly you can use ask those who were in the photo at the time. But failing that you can either use their favourite colours, or the last resort use artistic licence. Here at ReClick Photo I will only recolour your image to your own specifications, but don’t worry if you have no idea what to do then is just tell me to use my initiative. But please don’t worry, if you are not satisfied I will change anything you don’t like and no payment is required until you are completely happy with the finished result.

Now with the project complete lets take a look at before and after image comparison.

Before and after image comparison.

I hope this blog post has given you food for thought for your Mother’s Day gift this year. But if you are reading this from outside the UK then why not give your mother a gift to let her know how much she means to you – you don’t need to have a special day to do that. So what ever your imaging needs are please let me help! All you have to do is send me an email to info@reclickphoto.co.uk with your chosen image and let me see what I can do for you.

How many times have we looked at an image of ourselves and started to think about what you wish could be altered, whether it is to remove some unsightly blemishes, change the colour of an article of clothing, or even fix an unruly head of hair. How many images of major events in our lives have been tarnished by an unsightly problem. Here at ReClick Photo we are always here to help. Would you like to see an example of what we can do? let’s take a look at an image before retouching.

Original image before retouching

As you can see from the image above they are a few imperfections that here at ReClick Photo can rectify through image retouching. Personally I think this a lovely photograph, but I can understand why someone would like some alterations to the image. So with this photograph I decided to give you an example of what a complete retouching experience would look like here at ReClick Photo. Here are a list of objectives I wish to complete in this project.

Remove all blemishes, spots and freckles from the models skin.

Tidy up stray hairs from the models forehead.

Tidy up the models eye-brows.

Change the colour of the flower in the models hair in order to compliment her make-up.

Reduce the size of the models nose slightly and increase the size of her eyes a little.

Emphasize the colour of the models eyes and build up the shadows and highlights on her face.

Would you like to see the finished result?

Image after retouching

What do you think? I hope you agree that there is a marked difference between both of these images, although each of them have their merits. It is merely a matter of preference of which we may like or dislike.

Please note that this is an example of a complete image retouch from ReClick Photo. I can retouch anything from just a single spot on your chin to an example illustrated above.

After completing all the objectives listed above I decided to then darken the edges of the image slightly and and apply a blur to everything in the image except the main features of the face. My intention in doing so was to finish the project by drawing further attention to the main area of the models face. Let’s now take a look at a comparison of both images to compare the difference in both images.

Before and after retouching comparison

Image retouching can be carried out on personal images as well as those intended for professional and publication purposes. Here at ReClick Photo I would be delighted to assist you in all your image retouching needs. Please feel free to contact me via my email at info@reclickphoto.com for a no obligation quote.

With the sales of red roses and large boxes of chocolates set to go through the roof over the next week in time for Valentine’s Day, have you ever thought of surprising that special someone in your life with a totally different and comically funny valentines gift?

This year for Valentine’s Day, why not take a special photograph of you and send it to me here at ReClick Photo, and for the small sum of £5.99 I can perform a digital face-swap, and send the finished result straight back to your inbox for you to then do with as you wish. Let’s take a look at a demonstration of what I could do.

Original image before retouching.Featured above is my choice of image from my favourite free-to-use public domain image website, www.pixabay.com. As you can see, this image is perfect for a face swap, as both people are looking straight at the camera. For best results we need both of the faces to be looking in the same direction. Let’s take a look at the finished result than I can tell you how it was done.

Example of a photograph that has been given the ReClick Photo Face-Swap treatment.What do you think? An Image like this will make everyone laugh, it will certainly be a talking point! To achieve this I first loaded the original image into my image-editing software where I carefully selected both faces and made a copy of them. Next I superimposed the faces onto its new body. Once positioned, I began to blend the faces into the existing heads. This meant blending the two skin tones, blending the new face with the existing hairline and ears etc. The main objective is to make it look as realistic as possible.

To give an image of your choice the ReClick Photo Face-Swap treatment all you have to do is send your images to me via email to info@reclickphoto.co.uk and I will start the transformation! I all I ask is that you make sure that both people in the image are looking in the same direction. The finished image will be sent to you directly via email where it will be yours to do what ever you wish with it! Please note you will not be asked for payment until you are satisfied with the transformation. Upon receiving payment your final higher resolution image will be emailed to you directly.

For only £5.99 you can surprise your loved one with a thoroughly amusing and completely different valentines gift this year! Times running out so please contact me soon so not to be disappointed! Please bear in mind that this is not only a great gift for Valentines Day it would be a fantastic gift for a birthday, wedding anniversary etc.

With all our all our festive celebrations just a memory to us now, I am delighted to share with you something that will cheer you up. How about recieving 20% off all photo restoration and image retouching work until the 31st of January 2016? All you have to do is quote JAN20 when you contact me at info@reclickphoto.co.uk and your discount will be applied automatically to your free no obligation quote. Let’s just call it a happy new gift to you from ReClick Photo.

So whether you wish for an old damaged photo to be digitally restored, or you would like me to change the colour of your dress, or remove a large spot from the end of your nose, just quote JAN20 when you email me at info@reclickphoto.co.uk and the discount is yours!

Like all good news please share with your friends and family, so get on you social media profiles and let them know! Remember offer ends 31st January 2016!

As a little bit of a pogonophile (definition: one who loves, or studies beards), and a proud bearer of a beard myself, I wanted to work on a project that would feature it. After a few minutes an idea came to mind that made me giggle.

What if I could superimpose an image of my beard today onto a beardless picture of the past, preferable one of me as a kid? As you can imagine I delved back into the family photo archive to find the perfect picture. Do you want to see the finished result?

As you can see this image was not taken yesterday. It was taken around the time Back to the Future was first out in cinemas – yes I am really that old! You will be glad to hear that I do not wear a similar outfit when I walk down the high street of my town. It was the 1980’s and people definitely had a different sense of style, especially my mother!

The original photograph was a really small one, so when scanning it I did so at a high resolution In order to get the most of the detail in the image. I then superimposed, and scaled down the size of my modern day beard and applied a few adjustments in order for it to fit on to my younger face. Once satisfied I adjusted various levels such as colour, contrast, noise etc to blend it satisfactorily into the older image. To finish I adjusted the size and resolution of the image so that I would ready for printing.

This is a prime example of the power of image retouching, and photo manipulation. Through these methods you can create stunning works of art, as when as images that are simply fun!

So if you have a bearded man in your life that you would like to surprise them with a unique gift this Christmas, why not contact me via email to info@reclickphoto.co.uk with two images, one past the other present, and I will give you a free no obligation quote. Your finished image will be sent to you via email for you to use however you like! You could print it on a t-shirt, mount it into a frame, even set it as your profile picture on social media – it’s completely up to you!

When it comes to retouching and photo manipulation, the world is our oyster. So whether you would like to superimpose your older face on to you as a baby, or you would like to swap the faces over on a wedding photo (you could see what your husband would look like as a blushing bride!) then please contact me at info@reclickphoto.co.uk and let me see what I can do for you, why not test me, I love a challenge!

For more information on the work that I do here at ReClick Photo then please visit my website at www.reclickphoto.co.uk.

With Halloween nearly upon us I hope your preparations are going well. Whether you are young or old, Halloween is enjoyed by many people all over of the world.

If this year you do not have the time, or just simply can’t be bothered with dressing up, then don’t worry help is at hand! Here at ReClick Photo I can give you a spook-tacular digital makeover that you can share on your favourite social media sites or to hang on your wall at home to scare your family and friends! let’s take a look at an example of what I can do.

Girl before digital Halloween makeover

Here we have a free to use public domain image from http://www.pixabay.com. As you can see the subject is not really evoking the spirit of Halloween. What can I do to remedy this situation? Here is what I want to achieve with this project:

Would you like to see the finished result before I explained how I managed to achieved it?

Girl after Halloween makeover.

What do you think? Certainly a transformation! Here is how I achieved it:

Firstly I reduced the size of some the features of the girls face, i.e. the nose, point of her chin, etc. to make them look sharper.

I then lengthened her chin and pushed in the sides of her face, making a more sculptured face.

To achieve a more witch-like appearance, I then started to recolour certain areas of the image such as her face, arms, hands, and hair in various shades of green, grey and black.

To brake up the smoothness of the subjects skin I applied a little texture to it to give the illusion of blemishes, spots, etc.

For the eyes to really stand out, I decided to recolour them a bright red so they would contrast strongly with the green of the skin.

Finally I flipped the image so it would be a mirror image of the original. The reason to do so was so I could use both the original and retouched images together, giving an impression of good and evil.

Would you like to see the finished comparison image?

Halloween makeover before and after comparison.

In order to look totally fang-tastic for Halloween why not send me an image of your choice for a free quote. Starting from as little as £9.99, you can have your spook-tacular image in time for Oct 31st.

Sadly sometimes the image that you want to capture simply does not exist. So what can we do? Just take the best photograph you can at the time and with a little digital tweaking you will get the image you want. Let’s take a look at an example of what I am talking about.

Whilst at sea, when both lighthouses are in alignment ( the light of the Upper lighthouse positioned directly above the light of The Beach Lighthouse) then as long as a vessel follows the guideline projected by the lights then they will enter the Wyre Estuary safely.

As you can see from the image above there are many elements which are taking the focus away from the lighthouse itself, so in true ReClick Photo fashion I will work my magic in transforming the image into the best it can be. Would you like to see the finished result before I explain how I achieved it?

View of the Pharos Lighthouse Fleetwood

What do you think? I hope you are agree with me that the image has been greatly improved. As you can see there has been a number of elements removed, if you don’t want to play a game of spot the difference here is a list of what has been removed:

The lightning conductor on the lighthouse.

An unused bracket of the railing at the top of the lighthouse.

The sign post.

The overhead tram lines.

The telephone posts.

The flags and flagpoles.

A few imperfections, and damage to the sandstone of the lighthouse.

To continue the retouching process further I turned my attention to the emphasising the main subject , the lighthouse, itself. To do this, I worked on the light and shade. To draw attention to the Lighthouse I lightened it before darkening the outer edges of the image in order to frame it. To finish, I carried out a few further adjustments such as curves, brightness/contrast, exposure etc. Let’s take a look at the before and after comparison to see the how much difference the retouching process has made.

The Pharos Lighthouse before and after retouching.

Whilst things such as road signs, telephone posts, and cables are vital in the real world, when it comes to a photograph thankfully you can remove them without causing any devastating effects.

If you have any images like the one featured in this blog post that you would like to be given the same ReClick Photo treatment, then please contact me at info@reclickphoto.co.uk. For more information about ReClick Photo and the services I provide please visit my website at http://www.reclickphoto.co.uk.

To see the other images I took whilst visiting Fleetwood please visit my 500px page by clicking here – http://bit.ly/1GeSMv2. If you like them you can license them!

Thanks for reading!

Hugh at ReClick Photo.

P.S. Remember its not to late to enter our Halloween Prize Give-away. For details on how to enter please visit http://bit.ly/1P343GU. Good Luck!